Our Mission
& Our Approach

As the only independent international school in Macao, our programs incorporate curriculum and teaching programs that are internationally recognised for their quality and effectiveness. In addition, we open an extensive range of opportunities for international tertiary education.

The TIS Approach 

TIS believes students are best prepared for the future by cultivating skills and attitudes that enable lifelong learning and caring for the community.

The primary aim of education is not simply to enable students to do well in school, but to help them to do well in the lives they lead outside of school.

High quality teaching and learning

With our teaching staff coming from many different educational backgrounds, we implement best practices from a variety of educational frameworks, emphasizing student growth. We focus on developing each student's learning skills and content knowledge. We prioritize developing skills that include: communication, research, evaluation, critical thinking, application & synthesis of concepts and reflection. We also emphasize building positive character traits that include: caring, open-minded, respectful and being principled.

We work toward developing students who are self-regulated in their learning and are able to identify their strengths and weaknesses as learners. The emphasis is on getting students to understand how they can learn effectively and how they can become better learners, with the end result of strong academic achievement coupled with strength of character, becoming positive contributors to our global community.

We work toward developing students’ awareness of and effective practices for their well-being; students who are able to take care of themselves and others. We take pride in developing students who are open-minded toward other perspectives and who understand that the viewpoints of others may also be correct.

Our experiential learning and service programs connect students with real-world issues and build their awareness of their responsibilities as global citizens. The infusion of STEAM-based projects at each grade level not only deepens content knowledge but also builds essential workforce skills of innovation, communication and teamwork. Leadership skills are developed via opportunities to participate in Student Council, Student Leadership, Model United Nations (MUN), Yearbook and other groups. Athletics teams, Extra Curricular clubs (ECA), and Performance programs also contribute toward developing a wide set of skills, as well as providing a balance to academic study.

The TIS Advantage 

TIS is an accredited Alberta (Canada) International School, with the top tier status (Tier 4*) as a flagship school accredited by Alberta Education. TIS offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme and is a candidate school for IB Primary Years Programme (PYP).  We are also seeking authorization as an accredited school by the Council of International Schools (CIS). This International Curriculum delivered via our effective international Approaches to Teaching and Learning sets our students on a pathway for academic success.

Our unique Approaches to Teaching and Learning, along with Experiential Learning opportunities allows students to connect their learning in the classroom to real world events and issues, generating authentic learning experiences. 

Our International Curriculum delivered alongside and via Experiential Learning opportunities enables our students to develop personally and holistically to become positive contributors to our local and global communities as Global Citizens.

Student Excellence 

We believe that the TIS Advantage enables every student to reach their own personal level of Student Excellence. This may look different for each student, according to their strengths and weaknesses; areas where they may shine and areas for growth. 

Excellence can manifest itself in many different ways beyond academic achievement. Therefore, TIS strives to provide opportunities for every student to grow and excel in whichever area of personal interest and natural aptitude they hold. We seek to challenge students to take responsibility for their own learning and their pursuit of personal excellence. We promote the philosophy of life long learning so that pursuit of excellence can continue beyond graduation. We challenge students to focus on developing their personal skills, traits and attributes of good character to assist them in becoming excellent contributors wherever they find themselves in our world. 

*Demonstrating Excellence as a Tier 4 School

Alberta Education recognises Tier 4 as leading-edge schools that make a difference for students and go beyond the standards expected of every school. Examples of educational excellence include: 

• academic results that consistently meet or exceed the provincial average; 

• robust educational programming that includes optional programs for students; 

• extracurricular programs that extend learning beyond the classroom; 

• opportunities that foster local, national and/or international collaboration; and

• a comprehensive plan for professional learning that engages all staff.

*Source: “Handbook for Alberta Accredited Schools.” Alberta Education, 2017. https://education.alberta.ca/media/3653597/aais_handbook.pdf.